UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell has warned countries at COP30 that “this is no moment for self-congratulations,” urging governments and non-state actors to close the gap between promises and real-world climate action.
Speaking at the Global Climate Action high-level closing event in Belém, Stiell said the world was watching to see whether climate cooperation could “stand firm in a fractured world.”
“COP30 has racked up an impressive scorecard of real-world climate actions that will also mean stronger economies, more jobs and better lives for many millions,” he said, pointing to major moves including “a trillion-dollar charge into the clean energy and grids,” a global plan to quadruple sustainable fuel, new green industry investments, and an expanding pipeline of adaptation projects.
But Stiell stressed that the momentum must translate into delivery.
“This is the moment to step up. To strive for measurable, real-world results for people, for economies, and for the planet,” he said. “This is the Climate Action Agenda.”
He praised the COP30 Presidency for “its clarity of purpose” in aligning the Climate Action Agenda with the formal negotiations, saying this was helping governments design practical climate plans that “unlock jobs, investment, cleaner air, and more secure, affordable energy.”
“The Climate Action Agenda is not a nice-to-have on the side. It is mission critical, and a key part of the Paris Agreement,” Stiell said.
He highlighted a shift in national climate plans toward “whole-of-economy and whole-of-society approaches,” calling it “transformational – unthinkable only a few years ago.”
Stiell also credited the Marrakech Partnership and the Climate High-Level Champions for sustaining global momentum.
“It has brought together businesses, cities, regions, investors, civil society, including Indigenous Peoples – helping sustain momentum, share innovation, and keep ambition rising even in the toughest of geopolitical conditions,” he said. “That collaborative architecture has never been more essential.”
He said the responsibility for the next phase of action sits with “Parties and non-Parties, public and private sectors, national and subnational implementers” alike.
“People everywhere deserve to have the benefits of climate action: better health, more resilient communities, greater security and prosperity. And because every moment of delay is far too costly,” he said.
Stiell closed with a call for delivery at scale: “Let us close the gap between commitments and delivery that protects and improves people’s lives. And show the world that climate cooperation stands firm, serving the interests of every nation, every economy and every person,” he said.
